To get a full answer to that question, you will have to do some searching on Google, it is rather too much for a single post.
In short, garbage collection (GC) is firmware-based routines to erase the data on the chips so new data can be written. Each controller-firmware combination has differing routines for when and under what conditions the data is erased. Without Trim enabled, the SSD has no way of knowing which chips have been erased recently, so basically, Trim tells the SSD that it needs to do its routines on certain chips, which keeps the SSD functioning well. Of course, that is a very oversimplified explanation
. Read some of the reviews on Anandtech, etc,
http://www.anandtech.com/tag/ssd
and you will get a lot of info on the differences between controllers and manufacturers, and how they handle GC and how Trim works to keep the SSD working at top speed and efficiency. Unless you have a very unique SSD, it is generally considered best to have Trim enabled.